How would you rank the Chicago Bears 90-man roster heading into training camp?
Ranking 90-86 85-81 80-76 75-71 70-66 65-61 60-56 55-50
50. Josh Bellamy
After the 2018 NFL draft, a vibe began to come about that this might be the end of Josh Bellamy and his time with the Chicago Bears. The Chicago Bears did not just draft one, but two wide receivers.
They already added Taylor Gabriel, Allen Robinson, and Bennie Fowler. While Fowler was already featured on the list, he is not far off of Josh Bellamy.
The fact of the matter is that Josh Bellamy is not a good wide receiver. Even Josh Bellamy supporters have seemingly come around to admit that. They point to special teams. It is worth noting that despite similar offensive workloads in 2016 and 2017, his special team’s participation went down significantly.
The team could be beginning to sour on Bellamy. He is a free agent at the end of this season and would cost the team nothing if he was released. Bellamy enters camp a slight favorite over Tanner Gentry and Bennie Fowler. However, these two are younger with more upside, and it would not be a shock to see one of the two make this roster over Josh Bellamy.
49. Bradley Sowell
Sowell was given a two-year extension this offseason. In that sense, he has to have a pretty good shot at making the roster. Still, as we have mentioned in a few of the more recent posts, his job is not secure by any means.
He has starter experience, but the team does not want to look at him as a starter. He has guard experience, but the team is hoping that he will not play guard.
The Chicago Bears line has been banged up and depleted over the past few seasons. It has put players such as Sowell and Tom Compton into starting positions. However, this year, the team is hoping that depth and health can change that.
With the potential of Eric Kush and Kyle Long healthy, along with James Daniels, Sowell could finally be looked at as a swing tackle again. Still, in that slot Earl Watford and Dejon Allen, both can be competing for a roster spot. Sowell was signed for two seasons but is owed less than $1 million this year and $300K next year if released. If either option proves better in camp, Sowell is still on his way out. So while he enters training camp as a favorite to make the roster, it is not by much.
48. Isaiah Irving
Isaiah Irving is entering year two with the Chicago Bears at a position that has starting spots almost completely up for grabs. Can Irving grab one?
Irving was a UDFA last season who made his way onto the practice squad with a solid preseason. Of course, as the position began to thin out due to injuries, Irving found his way onto the roster and even started a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was a quiet game overall, but Irving showed some upside worth buying into heading into this season.
However, that game also ended his season, as he went onto the IR a few days later with a bad knee. It is a shame because that was truly a chance for him to gain some real momentum heading into this season.
Still, he is going to head into camp with every intention of winning a roster spot. As mentioned, he does not have the fiercest competition. The question is, what can he bring?
Irving is not the biggest or best athlete. That is what got him to fall out of the draft. He is a technically refined player, as shown in the play above. You can see that he is winning this repetition with his hands and his leverage. This can get him into roster contention.
It does not help his case that he got hurt in his one chance with tougher competition. However, he likely will get another chance. If he does not make the initial roster, the team will likely look to get him onto the practice squad. From there, it feels as though he will find a chance at some point during the season.
47. Kevin Toliver
Toliver is the UDFA to watch out for this offseason. Coming from LSU there is certainly a pedigree behind his name. Behind that pedigree is some players that should have had Toliver drafted. He has size, versatility, and athleticism.
However, he was not drafted for a reason. He has some of the field issues and has faced team discipline in his career.
The Chicago Bears have mentioned their happiness with Toliver so far. However, they have also mentioned their short leash on Toliver. Overall, when it comes to talent, upside, age, and contract, Kevin Toliver has every chance to finish ahead of Marcus Cooper on the depth chart.
Related Story: Kevin Toliver UDFA profile
Whether he does or not will come down to one person and one person only. Himself. If he can stay healthy, stay focused and show his commitment, he is going to get a job as a depth cornerback with starter upside. However, his downside is a player that the Bears do not even want to keep for the practice squad, so he currently sits in at 47.
46. Javon Wims
Javon Wims is an exciting seventh-round rookie with a lot of upside and potential. Wims is not a burner by any stretch, but he has great size.
With that is a basketball players instincts who can win down the field thanks to his ball tracking and ability to attack the football in the air. He can contort his body to make contested catches at a better rate than most receivers.
Still, there is no guarantee in a seventh-round pick making the roster. Wims is not a refined route runner and is likely going to be limited to a goal line and depth receiver in his rookie season. The issue with Wims is that he does not have special teams experience.
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Between Kevin White and Javon Wims, the Bears have two players who potentially profile similarly. Neither plays special teams. With players such as Bennie Fowler, Tanner Gentry, and Josh Bellamy who have proven special teams prowess, it is tough to justify keeping Wims with White on the roster.
If Wims can provide special teams value, he can make the roster. If Kevin White gets hurt, he is going to become more valuable than expected. However, as of now, he has to prove that he can expand on his route tree and play special teams before he is ensured a roster spot.